“It’s unbelievable, I’m so proud of everybody at the club.”

Those are the words of Slimbridge chairman Barry Gay after the flagship team clinched the Hellenic League Premier Division title yesterday.

Their 3-2 win at Tuffley Rovers coupled with Droitwich Spa’s 5-3 defeat at home to Hereford Pegasus saw them crowned champions with two games remaining on a day that will live long in the memory.

Slimbridge will now return to Division One South of the Southern League after an absence of three years and Gay said: “It’s great reward for all the hard work that has gone into this season.”

Slimbrigde have surged to the championship on the back of eight wins in nine games – they lost 2-0 at play-off chasing Cirencester Town on Saturday – but they didn’t have things all their own way against mid-table Tuffley.

The home side scored the first goal and led 2-1 at the break and 72-year-old Gay said: “It was typical Slimbridge, I’ve lost count of how many late goals we’ve scored this season.

“But we always keep going, we never stop running.”

Substitute Jacob Rodgers got the decisive goal nine minutes from time – Charlie Hitchings and Alex Bell were their other goalscorers – and Gay continued: “The first half was very scrappy, we looked nervous.

“They didn’t have anything to play for but in the second half we got the ball down and started to play.”

Gay has been chairman of the club for the past 10 years. His first season in the role was after they’d just won the Hellenic League Premier Division title last time around so he knows what to expect in the Southern League.

“Now the hard works begins, staying there will be a big task,” he admitted. “There are some big clubs, some big sides and some big towns.

“It’s a tremendous achievement for a small village club like ourselves to be playing at this level but we’ll be prepared.”

Gay, who has been involved with Slimbridge for 15 years, says that ideally he’d like to step down as chairman, but is ready to carry on if required.

That’s good news for the club because Gay’s experience will be invaluable next season.

He played for Coaley Rovers back in the day and then managed them for 18 years, helping them climb from Division Six to Division One of the Stroud League.

There were plenty of celebrations along the way, of course, and there were plenty of celebrations in Slimbridge last night.

“It was absolutely brilliant,” Gay said. “They boys all came back to the clubhouse, they were buzzing.

“They are a good close-knit bunch, they are real nice lads.”